Top 6 AI Startups In New Zealand in 2025

A lot of people may not know this, but New Zealand has a lot going for it in the AI field. Robotics Plus, Volpara Health, Thematic, Arcanum, and Ambit are not only local innovators; they are also global players that show how AI can solve problems at home and around the world.

The tech scene in New Zealand has been quietly getting stronger in AI. New Zealand-based startups are pushing the limits in everything from precision farming to conversational tools. This blog talks about some of the best AI/ML companies, how AI is growing in New Zealand, why it is needed, and what the future holds.

 

What is AI in NZ Context?

 

AI, or artificial intelligence, is the ability of machines or systems to act like people do when they learn, think, see, or make decisions. AI isn’t just a buzzword in New Zealand; it’s being used in fields like agriculture, healthcare, customer service, finance, and more to solve problems like labour shortages, remote service, geographic isolation, and more, as well as to make things more efficient and compete on a global scale.

 

How is AI Relevant in NZ?

 

AI has some specific benefits for New Zealand because it has some unique problems:

• Productivity increases, especially in fields like farming and agriculture where labour is expensive or hard to find.
• New Zealand businesses are helping with health outcomes by making early detection and diagnostic tools (like cancer screening) better.
• Digitalising services: chatbots, automation, and tools for small and medium-sized businesses that might not have their own tech teams.
• Global export potential: New Zealand AI companies often do business in other countries, using cloud computing, remote services, and compliance with laws.

 

Growth of AI in New Zealand

 

The use of AI has sped up, especially since late 2022, when generative AI (like ChatGPT) became more popular around the world. Companies in New Zealand are also riding that wave. More money and interest from the government, institutions, and research groups. There is also more cloud infrastructure (like AWS) that helps AI startups. The talent pool is getting better: people are getting better at ML, NLP, robotics, and other things through collaborations between universities, research, and industry.

 

Need for AI in NZ

 

Why does New Zealand need AI so much?

• Distance and geography, as well as a lack of workers: Automation and remote tools help fill in the gaps in agriculture, health, and rural services.
• Healthcare pressures: AI tools can help doctors with things like diagnosing cancer, serving people in remote areas, and managing their workloads. For example, Volpara.
• Problems for SMEs: A lot of small businesses don’t have the money or people to hire tech workers. They can use tools that automate operations, customer feedback, or finances (like Arcanum and Thematic).

 

 

Top 6 New Zealand AI Startups

 

There are many notable AI startups in New Zealand. However, there are a few companies that stand out from the rest. Here are some interesting companies in New Zealand that work with AI or are related to it, along with what they do and what their focus is.

 

Robotics Plus

This company is based in Tauranga and makes robotics, AI, and automation for farming. They make things like “Prospr,” an autonomous multipurpose hybrid vehicle for orchard and vineyard tasks like spraying and weed control, as well as robotic fruit packers (Āporo fruit packer), a log scaler, and more. 

 

Volpara Health

 

 

Volpara Health is a digital health company that makes AI tools for breast cancer screening. Their platform looks at things like breast density, image quality, and how to make workflows better. They have gotten a lot of attention around the world and have gotten the green light from regulators. 

 

Arcanum AI

Arcanum AI is based in Wellington. They make AI tools that help small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) get more done by automating boring tasks. They’ve worked with AWS for a long time to make generative AI tools, virtual assistants, and connections with platforms like Workato. They moved to Australia and are now looking at the US. One of their goals is to make AI safe, private, and simple to use.

 

Composite.com

 

 

Composite.com is one of New Zealand’s newest AI startups. It was started in 2025 with the goal of changing the way people work in their browsers. Composite doesn’t ask professionals to use new tools; instead, it makes AI agents that work with browsers like Chrome, Safari, and Edge. These agents can do the same tasks over and over again on the internet, like filling out forms, scraping data, or keeping track of workflows across different tabs. This saves hours of work. 

 

Script Sense

 

 

 

Script Sense is working on a very important and real problem: mistakes with medications in pharmacies. This Kiwi startup’s cloud-based AI platform helps chemists by making it less likely that people will make mistakes when filling prescriptions. It was created through research collaboration between the University of Canterbury and the University of Sydney. Script Sense’s technology is meant to make pharmacy operations more efficient and improve patient safety by helping to find problems and give better decision support. 

 

Insite AI

 

 

Insite AI adds intelligence and accuracy to retail merchandising, which is often based on guesswork. Their platform uses machine learning to help stores make better choices about things like pricing, where to put products, how to allocate inventory, and even which new products to launch. Insite AI helps retailers increase sales and reduce waste by combining internal sales data with external factors like competitor trends, consumer behaviour, and even the weather.